


Last Plan Standing

by Requiem



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Reyes, this was supposed to be a short story but apparently I don't know how to write those
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 03:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17890745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Requiem/pseuds/Requiem
Summary: Sloane's not stupid enough to meet the Charlatan in a location of their choosing, especially not in Draulir, where the Collective is rumoured to have their base, and she's certainly not relying on the Pathfinder to be her backup with all the reports she's received of the Collective attempting to win him over. He'll make good bait, though, if the Charlatan's really as concerned about his safety as they claim to be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for this prompt on the kinkmeme:  
> https://masseffectkink.dreamwidth.org/9708.html?thread=45891564

When Sloane doesn't show at the appointed time, Reyes sighs and sits down. It's no doubt some kind of feeble attempt to gain control over the situation, but with a sniper on the ledge next to him, another watching the cave entrance, and a shuttle waiting out the back, he's confident the odds are as stacked in his favour as they could ever be. So he sits, and waits.

Minutes turn into an hour, and he breaks radio silence to call on his people at the port to see what the holdup is. They all report there's been no movement from the throne room ever since Sloane had received the message left on Kaetus' body. Nasty bit of business, that, but Reyes needed something that would unnerve her enough to want to settle things with the Collective, and there's been little that can do that after the year they've had in Andromeda.

Keema tells him that the Tempest docked at the port not long after he left for the cave, and Reyes resists the urge to sigh again. If things had gone according to plan, Kadara Port would be under his control by nightfall, and he'd be free to spend the rest of the evening with Scott until their jobs took them away from each other again. Reyes would tell him then; it would be easier once Scott had seen the good the Charlatan could do for Kadara.

Reyes sits in the dark for a while thinking of how he should break the news when it occurs to him that Scott hasn't checked in since landing. Usually, he'll no sooner receive word of the Pathfinder's arrival than there'll be a knock on the door of his room in Tartarus, or a message on his omni-tool if he's not in. But the mission has to come first at some point, Reyes reasons with himself. This just gives him the opportunity to tease Scott later about having his priorities in the wrong order.

Another hour passes, and still no Sloane. Reyes allows himself a brief distraction and checks his omni-tool for messages: nothing from Scott, a few job offers from regular clients, and Collective reports from the Charlatan's representatives. Amongst the all clears, a missing patrol at Varren's Scalp stands out for a second, but that route is well known for being more dangerous than most as the Outcasts are more daring that close to the port. The patrol will turn up or it won't, but it's not something he needs to get involved in.

All the waiting is starting to make Reyes uneasy, and he's trying to decide between staying or calling it a day when his omni-tool starts to flash. It's his personal number, but his omni-tool's not flashing blue like he's programmed it to do when Scott calls, so Reyes almost presses reject before he sees the name of the caller: Vetra Nyx. Knowing they both run in the same circles, it's more than likely to be a business call, but he answers anyway in the hopes of that business being the Pathfinder.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Where's Ryder."

Vetra's harsh tone throws him for a second; Reyes hadn't thought them to be on unfriendly terms despite what she might think of his relationship with Scott. When the words finally sink in, he goes cold.

"What do you mean?"

"Cut the crap. We all know you're his first stop whenever we land in Kadara."

At any other time, Reyes would be flattered. Now all Vetra's words are doing is feeding his growing sense of dread.

"I swear I don't know where he is. I've been out in the Badlands all day and the last time I spoke to him was two days ago."

Suspicious silence from the other end of the call.

Reyes leaps to his feet. "What's wrong? Tell me, please. I'll do what I can to help."

More silence, and Reyes thinks Vetra's going to hang up on him when she finally answers in a tight voice.

"No one's seen or heard from him since he left the ship this morning. He was supposed to be back an hour ago so we could head out to investigate some outlaw gang that's supposedly hiding on Kadara."

"Did you ask SAM?"

"First thing we tried. He doesn't know."

"What do you mean he doesn't know? How can he not know?"

"Something's blocking the connection. Scrambler, most likely. His last known location was the slums."

So Scott _had_ been coming to see him. The warmth in Reyes' chest is quickly quenched by the fact that if he hadn't been, this likely never would have happened; it would be suicide to attack the Pathfinder in the port, and Scott always had two squadmates with him in the Badlands.

"I'm coming back," Reyes says. "I'll ask my contacts in the area if they've seen anything." And the Charlatan will put out an alert to all representatives to keep an eye out for the Pathfinder.

Vetra starts to reply, but her words go unheard as Reyes receives a message on his Charlatan line marked urgent with the subject line _OPEN THIS NOW_. It's from his representative at Varren's Scalp, the same one who had reported the missing patrol.

 _Boss_ , the message reads, _I think I know what happened to our missing people._

Below that are the original contents of the email: a latitude and longitude and the words _Let's settle this._ There's also a picture attached, and Reyes opens it with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

It's Scott. Of course it is, but that's not all. Whoever took the picture has carefully framed it so that Scott's unconscious form is crumpled on the floor at the feet of three Collective raiders, or more likely, Outcasts dressed in Collective uniform. To the people of Kadara, and the Nexus, and everywhere else Scott's left an impression, it won't make a difference.

 _Ask for proof of life_ , Reyes sends back.

He recalls his lookouts to the shuttle and brings up the coordinates in the email on his map. It's in the middle of nowhere to the east of Varren's Scalp, in an area with deep gorges too narrow to scout from the air. It's also easily defensible, and with at least an hour's head start, Reyes is sure that Sloane's already put every possible approach under guard. How she'd gotten out of the port without the Collective hearing about it is something he'll investigate later, but the only thing he cares about right now is getting Scott back.

Vetra's still on the line, cursing him out for ignoring her and threatening to hang up. Reyes almost lets her; from what he's heard of Scott's crew, none of them seem to be particularly suited to delicate operations like this, and the last thing he needs is them charging in ham-handedly in a misguided rescue attempt. But he does owe Vetra for telling him about Scott, even if that hadn't been her original intention.

"I've got a lead," Reyes tells her. "I'll be at the gates in ten minutes if you want to join me." There. Now the others won't be able to accuse him of keeping Scott's whereabouts from them.

On the ride back, Reyes gets another forwarded email with a picture attached, this time with Scott awake and glaring at someone offscreen. Above his head is a wall clock that puts the time at five minutes ago. Reyes feels the tiniest bit relieved that Scott's well enough to be angry at his captors, but there's a bruise forming on the left side of his forehead and his gaze seems to be slightly unfocused. If this is payback for Kaetus, Sloane's chosen a better target than she could ever have known.

Vetra's waiting by the forward station when Reyes' shuttle lands, assault rifle in her hands and looking like she'll shoot the first thing that crosses her path.

"Get in!" Reyes calls, waving her over.

"What's this all about?" Vetra growls even as she climbs into the shuttle. "I'm warning you now, if I disappear too, the crew has orders to shoot you on sight."

Reyes brings up the first picture of Scott and shows it to Vetra.

"Shit," she says. She looks closer at the image then around the shuttle, gripping her rifle a little tighter. "If the Collective has him," she says slowly, "what the hell are we doing here?"

"Sloane has him." There's no time to put together a convincing argument, but if Vetra cares as much about Scott as Reyes thinks she does, there'll be no need. "She's using him to draw out the Charlatan, or failing that, she'll kill him and blame it on the Collective."

"That's insane; she'll never get away with it."

"We'll make sure of it. She sent a set of coordinates along with the picture. We're heading there now."

"How do we know the coordinates are where Scott's at?"

"We don't." Reyes doesn't even have proof that Sloane is the one behind this, only his gut feeling and the uncanny timing of events.

"So you could be flying us into a trap right now?"

"Should we drop you off?"

"Don't even think about it."

The coordinates take them to the entrance of a ravine where no fewer than a dozen Outcast are waiting, armed and armoured. They've got the advantage now, and Reyes can't help but wonder if things would have turned out differently had he ordered Kaetus be taken hostage instead. He would have something to negotiate with, at the very least.

"Set us down," he tells the shuttle pilot.

"We're playing right into their hands," she points out.

"I know. But don't worry, you get to stay here. Only Nyx and I are going in."

"And if you don't come out?"

"Let the Charlatan know they need to send someone else." Keema was always meant to be the Charlatan's public face, not the one that hid in the shadows and did the dirty work, but Reyes has absolute faith that she'll choose a suitable replacement for him if he dies here.

"If we don't come out, the Tempest is going in," Vetra's already hitting the switch to open the door. "You coming?" She jumps out without waiting for Reyes' answer.

"Keep the engine running," he tells the pilot, "and be ready in case we come out hot."

Vetra's waiting for him a few paces from the shuttle, eyes sharp behind her visor as she assesses the situation.

"How are we playing this?" she asks.

"Calmly," Reyes says even as he readies his rifle. "No shooting until we have Scott."

"Think she'll give him up?"

"I can be very persuasive."

As they near the ravine entrance, the Outcasts close ranks and one steps forward.

"Disarm," he says, voice distorted by his helmet.

"Not a chance," Vetra says. Her fingers tighten around her rifle.

"Shoot, and the Pathfinder dies."

"Then you won't mind if we hold onto our weapons as long as we don't shoot?"

"Disarm," the guard says again.

"Or the Pathfinder dies?" Vetra asks drily. "Did you clear that with your boss first?"

Reyes wants to convey some kind of message to her not to antagonise the people holding Scott, but the guard turns around and puts a finger to the comm in his helmet. He has an indiscernible conversation with the person on the other end, then turns around again.

"You can enter, but we'll be watching."

"Yeah, yeah." Reyes can hear the eyeroll in Vetra's voice.

The Outcasts must be dug in well if they're comfortable enough to let their visitors walk around armed, he thinks. The base could have been here the whole time and nobody thought to look, focused as they were on Sloane's activities in the port.

As they go deeper into the ravine, Reyes keeps a headcount of how many Outcasts are watching them. He knows Vetra's doing the same, and knows she comes to the same conclusion: too many to shoot their way out, even with Scott in fighting condition.

Eventually, the ravine widens enough to reveal a cluster of prefab buildings haphazardly crammed together like they've been air dropped then left where they were because nobody could move them. Sloane is waiting for them on the top floor of the tallest building, sprawled out in an armchair facing the door, looking as comfortable as if she were still in her throne room at the port. The guard at the entrance must have recognised Reyes and Vetra, because she doesn't seem surprised to see them.

"I was expecting the Charlatan, not some third-rate smuggler and one of Ryder's cronies," she spits.

"Sorry, this is all you get. Guess you're not worth the Charlatan's time." Reyes shrugs nonchalantly. He doesn't miss the way Sloane's bodyguards zero in on his every move; her people have always had itchy trigger fingers.

"Surprising, considering they've all but declared the Pathfinder to be under their protection. I know the Collective's been ordered not to harm him."

"A pity you couldn't have told your Outcasts the same, or he might have liked you a little more."

Sloane scoffs. "I don't need him to like me. But you…" She leans forward. "He likes you. And you like him. Don't think my guards don't tell me who they find getting busy in my storage rooms. Especially when one of them is the Pathfinder and the other is you. Incidentally, you wouldn't happen to have seen a bottle of Mount Milgrom lying around, would you?"

Every muscle in Reyes' body freezes. Stupid, to have let Scott pull him into that kiss. They should have hidden, and the guard would have left none the wiser.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Sloane gives him a humourless smile. "I'm sure." She goes to one of the monitors along the sides of the room and turns it so Reyes and Vetra can see what's on the screen. "Wake him up," Sloane says into her omni-tool, "we have guests."

Reyes can only watch helplessly as a figure in Collective armour enters the small, barren room where Scott is being held, and hauls him to his knees with a hand in his hair. They stick something in his neck and he rouses instantly, eyes wide and chest heaving as he gasps for air.

"What are you doing to him?" Vetra demands.

"Nothing yet." Sloane presses a button on her omni-tool.

There's no sound, but Reyes can pinpoint the exact moment Scott begins to scream before the guard lets him drop to the floor and he curls into a ball, clutching his head.

"That's enough," Reyes says sharply. "What do you want?"

Sloane releases the button and tells the guard to knock Scott out again. "I want the Charlatan. Not a representative, not a middle man, not a cryptic message to meet in a place of their choosing. I'll give them one more chance. We can even meet on neutral ground this time. Just me and them, two leaders trying to come to an accord. For the good of Kadara."

"And the Pathfinder?"

"If I don't get what I want, a very grisly vid of his execution by the Collective gets released to the public. I'm sure you don't want that any more than the Charlatan would, so it's in your best interests to ensure they cooperate." Sloane crosses her arms, content at coming out on top once again despite the minor setback.

"This is not a smart plan, Sloane," Reyes tells her, "the Nexus—"

"The Nexus can kiss my ass," Sloane interrupts. "Especially after I tell them I've caught the ones responsible for murdering their beloved Pathfinder. They might even send supplies our way to help with our efforts to wipe the Collective off the face of Kadara."

"The Nexus might buy your story, but we will never let you get away with this, Sloane," Vetra says.

"You and what proof? You think Tann will just take your word for it when the whole cluster's watching the Collective blow the Pathfinder's head off?"

"Do you think Tann will care who did it save for the fact it was an Exile?" Reyes says. "He's been waiting for an excuse to hunt us down, and with three arks now docked at the Nexus, he has the firepower to do it. Take me instead."

"What?" Sloane and Vetra turn to stare at him.

Reyes' first concern as the Charlatan is Kadara's future, but all he can think about right now is how he can get Scott out of harm's way. He was never meant to get involved with this side of Reyes, not like this. There's a reason the Charlatan never directly contacted the Pathfinder.

"I run jobs for all kinds of people. Charlatan included. You'd be surprised how much I know."

"So you say." Sloane looks unimpressed. "You're right about the Pathfinder; it would be foolish to go war with the Nexus now. But tell me, why don't I just take you, and you," she looks from Reyes to Vetra, "and all your Collective friends outside, and shoot one every day until the Charlatan shows their cowardly face?"

"You do that, and you're a dead woman, Sloane," Vetra says. "If I don't get in touch with the Tempest soon, they're going to come looking for me."

"The Charlatan knows where you are," Reyes says. "Think you can get out of here before the Collective come for you?"

Sloane weighs their arguments in her head and finally nods. "Alright. Let's trade. But the Charlatan had better show this time because I'm going to have no problem shooting you if they don't," she says to Reyes. "Send a message."

Reyes types out an email under Sloane's close supervision, and sends it to Keema's private address that she uses for Charlatan communications. Only he knows it, and she'll get the notification on her omni-tool straight away, giving her plenty of time to come up with a plan before the meeting at noon tomorrow.

"Someone get the Pathfinder, he's leaving early," Sloane orders. "You, disarm."

Reyes hands all his weapons and his omni-tool over to Vetra rather than leaving them with Sloane's henchmen, and allows himself to be cuffed and patted down.

"My men will take Ryder to the entrance. He'll be your problem from there," Sloane says to Vetra.

Vetra nods shortly and leaves without so much as a backwards glance. Non-sentimental. Reyes likes her. On the screen, two guards enter Scott's room and drag his unconscious body out between them.

"Just you and me now," Reyes says to Sloane.

She rolls her eyes, and Reyes sees her make a small motion with her hand. He turns around just in time to see one of her bodyguards behind him, then there's a sharp prick on the back of his neck and everything goes dark.

-

Reyes wakes up in a cave. There's a light next to him and the low hum of a generator not far away. His hands are still shackled, tethered to something in the cave wall above his head, but otherwise he's free to move around on the small ledge he's been deposited on.

Surroundings assessed, he turns his attention to himself: a bit sore everywhere—not surprising given the likelihood of the Outcasts tossing him around like a sack of potatoes—considerably hungry, and incredibly thirsty. Someone's also taken his armour, but at least they've left him his clothes and his boots.

Reyes holds up a hand to shield the light from his eyes, and peers into the darkness until the shape of a person resolves itself. "Hey!" he calls out hoarsely.

The guard slowly turns to look at him.

"How about some water?"

They turn back.

"Fine."

Reyes has no idea what time it is or how long he sits there waiting for something to happen, but eventually Sloane makes an appearance, flanked by two snipers. One sets up further back in the cave while Sloane sends the other and the guard back outside. The resemblance to the setup Reyes had waiting for her doesn't escape his notice.

"Planning a surprise party?" Reyes asks as Sloane approaches him.

"For the first time in your life, Vidal, keep your mouth shut. Who knows, you might even live." Sloane releases the end of the tether attached to his cuffs and waves her pistol. "Get up."

They wait for the Charlatan in an alcove with a clear view of the tunnel, lit up in bright spots every few metres by a line of portable lamps. Sloane's got Reyes in front of her like a human shield, but he doesn't have time to think of a way to get himself out of this situation before there's movement at the end of the tunnel. He's more than a bit miffed that Sloane's plan seems to have gone better than his own.

"So." Sloane doesn't make to move from the alcove. "The elusive Charlatan appears."

"Where's my agent, Sloane?" The answering voice is female and vaguely familiar.

Sloane presses the barrel of her pistol to the back of Reyes' head and steers him into the light. The representative Keema has chosen to play the Charlatan is keeping her distance, and all Reyes can see of her is the striking silhouette of her long, form-fitting coat and the pistol she's holding loosely by her side. A dramatic entrance properly befitting the Collective's enigmatic leader.

"He's here. And still alive, even. Come closer and see for yourself."

The representative is just out of sight of Sloane's sniper, but he can't move without drawing attention to himself. Reyes, however, is directly in the representative's line of sight, and with a jerk of her wrist, she has the pistol pointed at him.

"No need."

Reyes feels Sloane's pistol leave the back of his head, then something slams into his chest and knocks the wind out of his lungs. As he falls to the ground, Sloane fires off a shot at the fleeing representative. Reyes hears the bullet thud into the wall of the cave, then Sloane curses and takes off in pursuit, not even giving him a second glance.

Reyes has been shot enough times to know what it feels like, prepares himself for the adrenaline to wear off and the burning sensation to ignite in his chest, but it never comes. He brings up one hand to touch the spot where he was hit, and though it hurts like hell and his fingers come away sticky with something that feels like blood, it's cold, and there's no hole in his shirt underneath.

The sniper jumps down off the ledge and goes to follow his boss out of the cave. As he steps over Reyes, Reyes grabs his ankle and pulls him to the ground. There's a brief scuffle, won by Reyes, though not as easily as he would have liked, and he knocks the sniper out with his own rifle before grabbing it and chasing after Sloane.

As he nears the cave entrance, Reyes hears the sounds of a firefight. The Outcasts must be putting up a good defence, because he can't hear any fighting happening within the cave itself.

He's close to the exit now, and rounds the corner with every intention of jumping into the fight, but he's forced to pull back when the sunlight hits his eyes and his vision whites out. It's a good thing he does, because when the light fades, the first thing he sees is Sloane standing just inside the cave entrance.

She has her back to him as she surveys the battlefield, safe behind the Outcasts' line of defence. Which is strange in itself, because Reyes has never known her to shy away from getting her hands dirty. He doesn't have time to ruminate on it though, because he's never going to get another shot like this.

The sniper rifle is heavy in Reyes' hands as he raises it to shoulder height. His hands are still cuffed, limiting their range of movement, and he's squinting fiercely in order to even see where Sloane is standing, but he determinedly flicks the safety off and takes aim. He doesn't bother with the scope at this range, just roughly lines up the end of the barrel with Sloane's torso and squeezes the trigger.

The shot rings loudly in the cave despite the suppressor, but it's the recoil that catches Reyes off guard. He sees Sloane take the hit and crumple to the ground, then the butt of the rifle slams into his shoulder, throwing off his already unsteady footing. Thankfully, his instincts kick in as he falls backwards, and he tucks his chin into his chest just in time to prevent his head from hitting the floor.

He could really do with a good nap, Reyes thinks as he lies on the ground, winded and aching in every part of his body. But he's not going to make the same mistake Sloane did, thinking her opponent was dead just because they appeared to have been shot.

 He forces himself into a sitting position using the sniper rifle as support, then to his feet using the boulder next to him. He's considering the merits of dragging the rifle's weight with him over to Sloane's body when several figures skid to a halt at the cave's entrance.

"Reyes!" says the one voice he's been dying to hear since this ordeal started.

Scott leaves his teammates to examine Sloane's body in favour of running down the tunnel towards Reyes, who drops the rifle and lets Scott pull him into a fierce embrace. He has to awkwardly manoeuvre his hands over Scott's head to hug him back, and Scott's armour is digging painfully into the bruise on his chest, but Reyes wouldn't have let go of him for anything.

"You shouldn't have traded yourself for me," Scott murmurs into his ear.

"You shouldn't be here," Reyes murmurs back. There's no way Scott's been cleared to be back in the field.

"Did you really think I'd stay on the Tempest while you were in trouble?" Scott gives him a disbelieving look.

"I was thinking you'd be down for the count, actually. I'm surprised you're even walking around."

"SAM's helping. The comedown's supposedly hell, but by then I'm hoping to be back in bed and asleep for the worst of it."

"You and SAM are back to normal, then? You had your crew quite worried when he told them he didn't know where you were."

"Sloane was using some kind of scrambler to stop him from transmitting my location. And since he's in my head, that got a little scrambled too." Scott grimaces. "But it's over now. Let's get out of here."

Scott pulls away, the front of his armour stained red where it was pressed against Reyes' chest. Scott follows his gaze down and starts.

"It's fake," Reyes assures him. "Fooled Sloane, though."

"The Charlatan's doing?"

Reyes freezes.

_He doesn't know._

"Or someone claiming to be the Charlatan," Reyes says carefully. This is neither the time nor the place to be spilling one's innermost secrets. If Scott hasn't found out by now, he can wait a little longer. "Think you can do something about this?" Reyes holds up his cuffed wrists, eager for a change of subject.

Scott confers with SAM, then does something with his omni-tool that has the cuffs effortlessly falling away. He pulls Reyes' left arm over his shoulders when it becomes clear Reyes isn't going anywhere by himself, and they slowly make their way to the mouth of the cave where Vetra's waiting with the krogan and the angara from Scott's crew. Reyes should know their names—he's got files on everyone on the Tempest—but he's already expending most of his cognitive abilities on staying conscious.

"Is she…?" Reyes gestures vaguely in the direction of Sloane's body with his right hand.

"Dead," Vetra confirms. There's a _look_ in her eyes behind her visor that Reyes can't tell is knowing or suspicious. From the stories he's heard of her, it could very well be both.

"Good," Reyes says. "It would be a terrible blow to my ego if I'd missed at this range."

Scott mutters something about that not being such a bad thing, but his exact words are drowned out by someone shouting Reyes' name.

Reyes recognises the figure before he recognises the face; Keema's got Crux from the base in Draullir playing the role of Charlatan, dressed in all black with a flashy coat and scarf instead of her usual armour. She slows to a walk as she gets closer, face flushed from the battle and an assault rifle still in one hand.

"Oh thank god, you're not dead." She sighs in visible relief.

Reyes raises an eyebrow. "Did you think I was?"

"How was I supposed to know? Orders made it very clear that the pistol was only good for one shot, so I didn't exactly get the chance to try it out first."

"You shot him because the Charlatan told you to?" Scott says incredulously. "Didn't you once have a problem with people faking their orders?"

While Reyes finds Scott's ire heartwarming, he's not sure he's up to standing around waiting for the argument to play out.

"We should be getting back to the port," he says.

Crux nods. "We'll clean up here. You and your crew shouldn't linger," she says to Scott. "Don't want people spotting you here and getting the wrong idea about what happened."

Scott's clearly not happy at being brushed off, but Reyes plays up not feeling well—not that he has to exaggerate much—and Scott immediately procures them a ride on the evacuation shuttle to the port, leaving his beloved Nomad behind for his teammates to fight over who gets to drive.

Reyes leans against Scott's shoulder and spends most of the shuttle ride only semi-conscious, blindly accepting the ration bar and bottle of water that Scott passes to him. He jolts awake, however, the moment the shuttle touches down at the port on the landing pad next to the Tempest's. Reyes' first thought is to find Keema and get the matter of the Kadara's change in leadership settled before the port descends into anarchy, but Scott's already got him by the hand and is leading him towards the Tempest.

"I've got some things to take care of first." Reyes reluctantly pulls away.

"You can do it on the Tempest." Scott reaches for his hand again.

"I can't," Reyes says, though he lets Scott take his hand. "I have to oversee it personally."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"You need to rest."

" _You_ need to rest." Scott fixes him with glare that Reyes last saw when Tann had suggested Scott leave the exiles to rot on Kadara and focus on finding other habitable worlds instead. Scott had then spent the next few days on Kadara solving a murder, activating a vault, and crippling the Oblivion trade just to spite him. And Scott had still found the time to help Reyes with his Zia problem, which is probably the moment that Reyes would pinpoint as when he'd fallen in love. He's a sucker for the soft-hearted hero type, apparently.

But soft is one of the last words Reyes would use to describe Scott right now, having the full force of the glare turned on him. His resolve weakens under its strength.

"Very well. But just for a while. Then I really need to get to work."

Satisfied at winning the argument, Scott says no more, only tugs Reyes over to the Tempest, through the cargo bay and down the corridor at the back to a room at the very end. It's Scott's room, Reyes realises as he looks around. He's seen it before, though only in the hazy blue light of a vid call in the downtime between missions as the Tempest hurtles through dark space.

Scott sheds his armour in a pile by the door and of course he's wearing his Initiative uniform underneath, clean, wrinkle free, and ready for an interview at a moment's notice. Reyes resists the urge to roll his eyes as the words _poster boy_ come to mind, and divests himself of his own clothes. As he carefully drapes his bloodstained jacket over the back of the nearest chair, he spots his omni-tool and the weapons he'd given Vetra sitting on a desk in the corner of the room.

"I wake up in the medbay and it's late in the afternoon," Scott says, coming up from behind and putting his arms around Reyes' waist. "I've had a hell of a day being kidnapped and knocked out and rescued all in the span of a few hours, and all I want to do is go back to sleep. Which Lexi is perfectly happy with, of course. I convince her to let me go to my room, I lie down on my bed over there, then I happen to look over here."

Scott rests his chin on Reyes' shoulder as he looks down at the desk. "Let me tell you, waking up and finding out _you've_ been kidnapped is not an improvement over waking up and finding out _I've_ been kidnapped." Scott turns his head and kisses Reyes' cheek. "Don't ever do that again," he whispers.

"Noted."

Reyes kisses him back, a proper kiss this time, and lets Scott lead him over to the bed. They've barely hit the mattress when Scott grimaces in obvious pain.

"Are you hurt?" Reyes reaches out to cup Scott's face and run a thumb over his cheekbones.

"Headache's coming back," Scott says with a groan as he closes his eyes and leans into Reyes' touch. "Let's just lie here until I manage to pass out."

Reyes manoeuvres the two of them into a more comfortable position that has him sitting up against the headboard with Scott draped across his lap. Reyes gently runs his fingers through Scott's hair and manages to elicit a contented sigh.

"How did Sloane get the drop on you anyway?" Reyes asks. He's going to make sure no one ever thinks to do it again.

"I didn't know it was her at first," Scott mumbles, face buried in Reyes' stomach. "But I guess it pissed her off when I turned her down after she asked me to be her backup at her meeting with the Charlatan. Didn't think she'd be _that_ pissed, though."

Scott could have been there, Reyes thinks. Just one word could have made a world of difference. One word, and he would have been there to see Reyes reveal himself as the Charlatan, been there to watch him challenge Sloane to a duel with the full intention of letting a sniper take her out. It's not a side of himself that Reyes wants Scott to see, no matter how much Keema pesters him to come clean. What good would it do?

"I left the Outcast headquarters," Scott continues, oblivious to Reyes' inner turmoil, "picked up some new mods for my rifle from the market, then took the elevator down to see you." Reyes feels Scott press a small kiss to the right of his navel. "I guess her goons jumped me as I was getting out."

"Call me next time," Reyes says. "I'll come meet you." He'll also post guards along the walkways to keep an eye on the elevator, and throughout the slums to make sure someone's watching the Pathfinder's back when he can't, but Scott doesn't need to know that.

"What if I want to surprise you?"

"Then landing your ship at the port is not the way to go about doing it."

Scott scoffs. "I don't always come to see you."

Reyes chuckles. "You do. And I'm always happy to see you."

Scott hums contentedly and pulls himself even closer. He's asleep in seconds, a warm weight across Reyes' legs, and for a moment there is utter peace.

Here, they're insulated from the activity of the port, and they've got the sun shining through the room's large windows without the accompanying smell of sulfur in the air, subtler since the vault was activated, but still ever-present. Reyes barely even dares to breathe for fear of breaking the stillness, content to sit there in silence with the man he loves in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

It doesn't last, of course. Less than an hour later, Reyes' omni-tool goes off.

It's Keema.

He sighs; were it anyone else, he wouldn't have bothered to answer.

"Hey, Keema," Reyes says quietly as he turns the volume down to the lowest setting.

"Where are you?" Keema demands. "It's complete chaos out here."

"I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle."

"Of course not, but it'd be easier if you were here to help."

"I'll be there soon."

"You'd better. I need to talk to you first before we even think about what to do with this planet."

That piques Reyes' interest. "What about?"

"Something important. Come quickly."

Nothing ever fazes Keema, so whatever this is that has her so bothered, it's on Reyes to help make things right.

"I'm leaving now." He carefully peels one of Scott's arms off his waist and tries to figure out the best way to roll him onto the bed.

"Why are you whispering?" Keema still hasn't hung up. "And where are you? You didn't answer my question."

"I'm on the Tempest." It's no use lying; Keema's probably got people watching the ship who'll report his every move back to her. "Don't talk so loudly; Scott's sleeping."

"Does he know? Have you told him?" Keema's lowered her voice, but there's no mistaking the underlying tone of excitement. She's been overly invested in this relationship since the day Scott first landed in Kadara and Reyes made the mistake of calling Scott by name rather than title when talking to Keema.

"No."

"Reyes—"

"Hanging up now. See you soon." Reyes hits the disconnect button.

He looks down at Scott's sleeping form and fondly tousles his hair one last time before slowly extricating his legs from under Scott, replacing them with a pillow. Scott's lying sideways across the bed but seems comfortable enough, and doesn't stir when Reyes pulls the covers over him and gently kisses his forehead.

Reyes puts his undershirt back on and pulls on his pants and boots, but writes off the shirt as a lost cause when he sees how obvious the stain from the fake blood is. He crosses the room to Scott's wardrobe in the hopes of finding something suitable to borrow, and is dismayed to find most of Scott's clothes come emblazoned with the Initiative logo.

Reyes almost leaves then—going out into the port wearing only this is still better protection than something Initiative-branded—when he spots a leather jacket shoved all the way into the corner. It's nearly a perfect fit, just a bit tight across the shoulders, and he'll have it back in no time at all. Scott probably won't even notice it's gone.

Reyes shoves his hands into his pockets and keeps his head down as he crosses the jam-packed market towards the former Outcast headquarters. Most of the crowd are neither Outcasts nor Collective, but exiles drawn back to the port from the Badlands now that the guardhouse at the slums entrance has been abandoned. Some are celebrating, some fighting, and the others simply watching, not yet sure what to make of the change in leadership.

The noise abruptly cuts off as the doors to the headquarters slide shut behind Reyes.

Inside, it's busier than Reyes ever remembers it being when Sloane was still in charge. It's mostly Collective in here, now proudly showing their colours around the port, but there's a significant number of civilians too, moving crates and setting up equipment.

Reyes slips into a side room with no traffic and sends his location to Keema. She's there in no time at all, datapad in one hand and omni-tool open on the other wrist.

"You look busy," Reyes says.

"The port's not going to take itself." Keema eyes Reyes critically. "What are you wearing?"

"Things got a little bloody, as I'm sure you're aware. I thought it best not to go wandering the port looking like a murder victim."

Keema smirks. "The plan worked, didn't it?"

"As would have many other plans that didn't involve ruining my clothes," Reyes grumbles.

"Next time, I'll send a pistol with real bullets and save myself the trouble of hearing you complain about me saving your life."

"Not complaining, just putting the idea out there." Reyes raises his hands placatingly. "Now, what did you pull me out of bed for?"

Keema's expression turns serious in an instant. "We can't find Kaetus. I've sent people to sweep the caves and the base where you and Ryder were held, but all they found were a few stragglers trying to make off with the supplies the others abandoned in their haste to leave."

"So leave them be. We have control of the port, and we'll have the support of the Nexus once we let them put down an outpost."

"If they were just scattered groups of Outcasts, I wouldn't think twice about letting them lick their wounds for a while. But Kaetus was Sloane's right hand man. They'll rally around him, and he'll gladly lead them."

Reyes has to admit she has a point; plenty of Outcasts were perfectly happy with the way Sloane was running things, and if they think Kaetus can give that back to them, someone needs to get rid of him before he can train a successor and continue the cycle. Soon, while the Outcasts are still scrambling to recover.

"Fine. Where should I start?"

"I've got people working on it, but there's not much to go on yet. We need someone with intimate knowledge of the area to lead the search, and you're the only smuggler I know for sure won't decide to join Kaetus instead of apprehend him. Or get killed by him. I'll send what information we've gathered to your omni-tool."

Reyes hadn't left the Tempest with the intention of heading right back into the Badlands, so all his weapons are still on the ship. He's definitely not going back there and risk waking Scott or running into one of the crew. They'll want to know what shady business he's up to now, and he'll never get away in time to catch up with Kaetus.

So he heads to the armoury instead, still fairly well-stocked since it appears Sloane had snuck out of the port to meet her people in the Badlands without telling anyone here what was happening. He arms himself with a rifle and pistol similar to the ones he'd been using, and puts on a bulletproof vest over Scott's jacket just as his omni-tool pings with a new message: information from Keema, as promised, and instructions to meet a team she's put together.

-

A shuttle is waiting for Reyes outside the slums, and the 'team' consists of just two other Collective agents: Crux, and a pilot who looks barely old enough to have a licence that Crux introduces as Daveth.

"What are you doing here?" Reyes asks Crux. He would have thought she'd be back at the base, coordinating patrols to sweep the Badlands for any remaining pockets of Outcast activity.

She shrugs. "I go where the boss tells me. What are you doing here?"

"You know me, I go where the credits are."

That earns him a dirty look, but Crux must have been told to expect him, because she doesn't comment further. "You know our mission?"

"Find Kaetus and bring him back to the Collective."

"The Charlatan wants this done quietly. That means with as little confrontation as possible."

"I think you'll find I'm actually very averse to confrontation," Reyes says. It's even true; as a smuggler, it's usually more profitable to take a longer route to avoid trouble than to face it head on and risk losing cargo or worse.

Crux gives him a skeptical look, but lets the matter drop. "We've been given two points to investigate: one's north of Haarfel and the other's west of Kurinth Valley. You're the navigator, so I'll leave it to you to choose which one we start with." She climbs into the back of the shuttle and makes herself comfortable lying across all three seats.

It makes sense to look north first—it's closer to the hideout where they'd found Sloane, and Reyes can't imagine her sending Kaetus far away after the attack. Also, Reyes knows there used to be an unofficial outpost of sorts up north that he used to frequent when he'd run the smuggling route out that way. It had sprung up as a result of smugglers and other shady characters stopping in the sheltered basin to resupply or do business, but news in recent months was that Sloane had finally discovered it and sent her Outcasts to either destroy the place or make use of it themselves. Relatively trivial updates like that had passed Reyes' news feed unscrutinised in favour of events that directly impacted the Collective.

Whatever's happened to the outpost, either Kaetus will be there, in which case their mission will be over quickly, the Outcasts will be there, in which case Reyes and Crux can question them for better leads, or the place will have been burnt to the ground, and they can move on to their next lead.

They fly north over the undulating hills, too uneven for the Initiative's prefabs to sit on nicely, and too barren to be worth the trouble of trying to settle anyway. Reyes keeps an eye on the shuttle's scanners in case the Outcasts have taken a page out of the Collective's book and set up a hidden underground base out here, but there's not even the tiniest blip until Daveth starts the shuttle climbing in preparation to crest a particularly steep peak.

"Stop!" Reyes' hand instinctively reaches for the pilot's controls before he can stop himself.

Taken by surprise, Daveth jerks the steering column, and the shuttle tilts sharply to the right. Reyes hears Crux swearing in the back as she hits the side of the shuttle.

"What the hell was that?" she demands when the shuttle is more or less stable again.

"Find somewhere to set us down," Reyes first tells Daveth. "There's an outpost on the other side of this mountain," he explains to Crux, pointing at the faint blinking dots on the edge of the shuttle's scanner. Some are out of range now, but the number he'd seen when they were closer clearly indicated something larger than a makeshift camp was awaiting them on the other side. "We can't be sure who it's run by, so if you want to play it safe, we'd better go in on foot and scout from a distance."

Crux looks dubiously at the screen, getting emptier with every second they get further away. "Did you see it?" she asks Daveth.

"I wasn't looking at the screen," he says.

"I'm the navigator," Reyes reminds Crux.

She sighs. "Set us down."

They have to fly for a considerable distance before they find somewhere suitable for the shuttle to set down. By Reyes' reckoning, they're a few hours' walk from the outpost, which means there's no way they'll be able to reach it before nightfall. So much for his plan to get back to the Tempest before Scott notices he's gone.

"Everyone out, we'll go it on foot from here," Crux says.

"But I'm supposed to stay with the shuttle," Daveth protests.

"Engage the locks and pick up a bag. If the shuttle gets stolen, you can blame it on me." Crux is rifling through the shuttle's stock of provisions, pulling out packs of ready to eat meals, bottles of water, and what looks like climbing equipment. "Hold this." She thrusts an empty bag at Reyes and starts loading it with supplies.

-

Crux leads their mismatched party through the hills, with Reyes in the middle and Daveth trailing forlornly behind. He's not foolhardy enough to continue complaining to Crux's face, but it's clear this is not what he had in mind when he'd received orders to fly a shuttle for a Collective mission.

With neither Crux nor Daveth particularly keen on making conversation, they walk in near complete silence for several hours before Reyes hears the familiar whine of a shuttle engine a second before the proximity sensors on their omni-tools light up. They're deep enough in the valley that they don't see the shuttle until it flies right over them, but of more interest is where it lands: right on the other side of the cliff wall they're currently adjacent to.

Reyes pulls up the more detailed results from his omni-tool's scanner and is hardly surprised when it has little to report. "Something's blocking the scanners. Probably the same tech Sloane was using to hide the Pathfinder."

"How did you get past that?"

"I didn't." Now would be a great time to have SAM on their side, but with SAM comes Scott, and Reyes has put him in enough danger already.

Crux isn't deterred. "The old-fashioned way it is, then. Good thing I brought these."

The old-fashioned way involves climbing to the top of the ridge with ropes and harnesses, and scouting the outpost with binoculars. From what Reyes remembers of the place, it looks much the same, but he's not optimistic enough to think that that it's remained untouched by the Outcasts.

"There's a gap in their security in the corner of the shuttle bay," Daveth reports as he unhooks himself from the rope they've run up to a small ledge in the cliffside overlooking the outpost.

"I saw that too," Reyes says, "but that's because any guard walking towards that corner in either direction can easily spot intruders."

"If we have no other option, we might have to make it work." Crux attaches her harness to the line and gets ready to go up. "You two talk it out, and I'll be back to tell you what I think."

Reyes uses their supplies to build a rough map of the outpost—fuel tabs for the buildings, biscuits for the shuttles, and cutlery stuck upright in the dirt for the guards—and compares what he'd seen to Daveth's observations. Crux rejoins them after half an hour, and confirms that there's no other way to enter the outpost unseen from where they are.

"Let's set up a rotating watch to keep track of the guard patrols; we're going to have to time this perfectly if we want to get in unnoticed."

Reyes draws first watch, and makes himself comfortable on the small ledge as he opens up the messages on his omni-tool. The notification light has been flashing blue since before they landed, so Reyes knows Scott's tried to contact him at least once. What he isn't expecting are three missed calls, two voicemails, and half a dozen messages from not only Scott, but also one from Vetra asking Reyes where the hell he is.

Reyes sends a quick 'I'm not dead' message to the both of them with an added 'I'll see you soon' to Scott's, and doesn't give more information than that. They should both know him well enough by now to know that him being cryptic isn't necessarily a cause for alarm.

Scott replies immediately with another almost pleading message asking for his whereabouts, and Reyes tries not to think of Scott staring at his omni-tool waiting for a reply that will never come as Reyes turns off notifications for all messages to his personal line. He also double-checks that his omni-tool isn't broadcasting his location in case Scott gets tired of waiting and decides to be more proactive.

As the moon reaches its zenith, the rope next to Reyes pulls taut, and Crux climbs up to trade places with him.

"Daveth and I came up with something of a plan; he'll fill you in," she tells Reyes before he begins his descent.

Daveth still looks as unenthused as ever, wrapped in a blanket and trying to make himself comfortable leaning against his pack as he relays the plan to Reyes: they'll rappel down into the unguarded corner of the shuttle bay, then using their newly acquired knowledge of the patrol routes, make their way undetected to the heart of the outpost, find Kaetus, and smuggle him out on one of the shuttles.

"We're just going to find Kaetus and leave?" Reyes asks. "And here I was thinking this mission was going to be hard."

Daveth shrugs. He looks half asleep already, so Reyes takes pity on him and doesn't try to engage him in further discussion.

A few hours later, Crux pings Reyes' omni-tool and tells him to send Daveth up to keep watch.

"You said you've been here before." Crux settles down opposite Reyes. "Is the place still familiar to you?"

"A little." The shuttle bay had definitely been in a more accessible position before and of course he'd never seen the outpost from this angle, but the buildings seem to still be in the same configuration.

"And if you were the leader of a gang, where would you hide?"

It takes all of Reyes' self discipline to not reply with "in plain sight".

"There are a few underground storage rooms," he says. They'd been little more than cellars for storing delicate and illicit goods when he'd last been to the outpost, but it wouldn't have been difficult for the Outcasts to expand them further. "The entrance is inside one of the buildings, though."

Crux nods. "We'll maintain watch on the outpost during the day and try to spot a pattern in their movements."

Crux busies herself with something while Reyes tries to get some sleep, and when she wakes him to relieve Daveth, he finds that she's translated his model of the outpost into a proper map on her omni-tool.

"Here," she says, tapping a button.

The notification light on Reyes' omni-tool comes on.

"Make note of any activity you see, and fix up the map if anything's out of place."

Crux is wasted in a desk job, Reyes thinks when he opens up the map after once again settling on the ledge overlooking the outpost. He'd picked her to run the base in Draulir because he'd needed someone competent, reliable, and trustworthy, the combination of which proved exceedingly difficult to find in his pool of candidates. Once things in the port have settled down and the Collective doesn't need to hide out in the caves anymore, he'll offer Crux her own team to lead into the field.

They keep a rotating watch on the outpost during the day, and by nightfall, their observations have confirmed that the shuttle bay is their best point of entry, and that even if Kaetus isn't here, something is definitely going on: too many shuttles are carrying more personnel than cargo.

-

They rappel down the cliff under the cover of darkness, perfectly timed so that they land during the changing of the watch, giving them a precious extra minute to get out of sight before the guards return. Using the shuttles for cover from the guards and the security cameras, they make their way to the closest building and slip inside after their scans reveal it to be devoid of occupants.

From there, they move systematically through each building, Daveth keeping an eye out for guards, Crux for electronic security measures, and Reyes charting their course through the outpost. After the fourth building, they finally find the entrance they've been looking for.

A few scans reveal the storage rooms aren't being used for storage anymore; at least, not for storing cargo. Each room they pass contains several sleeping life forms, but it's hard to discern individual characteristics without a more detailed analysis, which could trigger the sleepers' personal privacy alarms.

SAM could probably do it, Reyes thinks not for the first time this mission.

"There he is," Crux whispers. She's stopped abruptly, and in his momentary lapse of concentration, Reyes nearly walks into her.

On the screen of Crux's omni-tool, Reyes can see the form of a sleeping turian, but he can't tell if it's actually Kaetus or not. "Could be a decoy," he warns.

"It's him," Crux says with absolute certainty. "And the door is locked, but that's not going to be a problem. Daveth, head back and get us a shuttle. Vidal, watch the hallway."

Even though a shootout would not be conducive to their goal of completing the mission quietly, Reyes keeps a hand on his pistol in case any of the guards get curious and come down to investigate. If it comes down to it, he'd rather shoot than be shot.

Behind him, Crux tinkers with her omni-tool, the keypad next to the door buzzing with every incorrect attempt to bypass it. It sounds loud in the empty hallway, and they're completely exposed with nowhere to hide if someone decides to come looking. This has all the hallmarks of a good trap, but what Reyes can't figure out is how it's sprung.

Crux lets out a quiet noise of triumph, and the door slides open with a soft _woosh_.

"Come on," she says, entering the room.

Reyes surveys the hallway one last time, and a slight distortion in the air catches his eye. It takes him a second to pinpoint why it's bothering him so much, but then he realises that it reminds him of the tactical cloak that Scott uses when moving about on the battlefield. Normally, seeing the faint shimmer out of the corner of his eye gives him comfort that Scott has his back, but now…

"Crux!" Reyes backs into the room, drawing his pistol.

"Put it down," comes Kaetus' voice from behind him.

Keeping his pistol trained on the doorway, Reyes turns just enough to see Kaetus holding a knife to Crux's throat. In the hallway, he sees the telltale shimmer of the cloaked figure coming closer, as well as another he hadn't previously spotted coming down the other way. Perhaps if Daveth was still here they might have stood a chance, but Reyes knows when he's outgunned.

"Very well."

Reyes throws his pistol down the hall, and as he expects, it draws Crux and Kaetus' attention. With any luck, the other two Outcasts will be similarly distracted, and won't notice that as Reyes clasps his hands behind his back, he also turns on the locator in his omni-tool.

"Hands where everyone can see them," Kaetus orders.

Reyes obediently raises his hands as the Outcast in front of him de-cloaks and grabs his wrists, pulling his omni-tool off before tying his hands behind his back.

"Never thought I'd see you doing the Collective's dirty work," Kaetus says as the second Outcast searches Reyes.

"I'll do anything if the money's good enough," Reyes says with a shrug. "Got an offer to make me?"

Even in the low light, Reyes can tell Crux is glaring at him.

"Nice try, but I'm a little short on trust these days, especially the kind that can be bought and sold."

"That's fair enough."

The Outcasts search Crux as well and take anything that could be used as a weapon or tool, then they take Reyes and Crux to an empty storage room. They're plunged into darkness as the door slides closed, but the flow of air from a vent above their heads tells Reyes they probably haven't been left here to die. Not by suffocation, at least; Kaetus is certainly going to want to make an example of them.

"How could this happen?" Crux says, sounding absolutely incensed as she paces the small room. "There were no signs of movement, no alarms tripped, no guards alerted, and yet, they manage to sneak up on us." There's a quiet thump in the corner as she sits on the floor. "At least Daveth got away. Hopefully he has enough sense to make a run for it once he realises we've been caught."

"Huh." Reyes sits down in the opposite corner as a thought comes to mind. "Daveth."

"What about him?"

"How well do you know him?"

"I've seen him around the base a few times when he was on supply runs, but we've never spoken until today."

"Tell me, does it strike you as odd that we didn't see any movement in the bunker until after you'd sent him away."

"You think…but he would have to have been in contact with them the whole time."

"It would have been easy enough—he took a watch alone after we'd decided on a plan. That’s more than enough time to inform Kaetus of our imminent arrival and come up with a counter plan."

Crux is silent for a few minutes. "He was so…benign. Always punctual, never missing any goods, and he'd help the ground crew take the crates to storage instead of just unloading and leaving. He doesn't really read as Outcast material. Let's not write him off so quickly."

"Let's not wait for him to come to our rescue either." Reyes knows a thing or two about hidden agendas.

"Do you have a plan for getting out?"

"Not from here. We'll have to wait for them to take us above ground."

"And to our deaths, most likely," Crux mutters.

Reyes doesn’t reply. The Outcasts have most likely turned off his omni-tool by now, maybe even noticed it was transmitting its location and shored up their defences, but he's not going to give up hope yet. It's a new feeling for him.

Some indeterminate number of hours later, the Outcasts return for them. Reyes and Crux are led back outside, and from the still dark but quickly lightening sky, Reyes guesses it's not far until dawn now. The Outcasts take them to a covered area of the shuttle bay where Kaetus is waiting by an idling shuttle, one hand braced against the open door as he leans inside to speak to someone.

He straightens up when he spots Reyes and Crux, and motions for the Outcasts to load them onto the shuttle. The overhead lights make the dark bruises on his face stand out, but Reyes isn't feeling as guilty about it as he should, what with his impending death looming over him and all.

Kaetus opens his mouth to say something no doubt snarky before they board the shuttle, but before he can get a single word out, several things happen: an alarm goes off in the shuttle bay, someone comes running out of the nearest building towards them, and Reyes hears the engine of a vehicle much larger than a shuttle pass over them.

"What's going on?" Kaetus demands from the messenger.

"The Pathfinder is here," he replies, helplessly gesturing towards the patch of flat land on the other side of the outpost reserved for larger cargo ships where the Tempest is touching down.

To say that Reyes is elated his distress call had been interpreted as such would be an understatement, but if Keema was hoping to keep this quiet, she's going to be disappointed; there's no such thing as quiet where the Pathfinder goes.

More engines are heard overhead.

"And that?" Kaetus points at the roof.

"It's…" the messenger brings his shaking arm up to check his omni-tool, "the Collective."

Now _that_ Reyes hadn't seen coming.

Kaetus makes a noise of frustration and releases the quaking messenger, stalking back to the shuttle. "Get in." He pulls out his pistol and jabs Reyes in the arm.

"And just how far away do you think you'll be able to get?" Crux asks.

Reyes is having the same thought, but he's keeping it to himself as he's the one with the gun pointed at him.

Kaetus ignores Crux and climbs into the shuttle after her and Reyes, giving last orders to the Outcasts still on the ground that Reyes can't hear over the sounds of people yelling and engines firing up.

With their hands still cuffed behind their backs, there's little Reyes and Crux can do as the shuttle takes off, the ground crew providing covering fire to hold back the advancing Collective and Pathfinder teams.

Reyes is looking out the window and weighing the odds of kicking the emergency door release and jumping out versus going along with Kaetus' plan when something shoots over the ridge behind them. It's not a shuttle, or any other kind of air vehicle for that matter, but Scott's Nomad, in all its blue-and-black star-splattered glory, traversing the mountainous terrain with ease as it follows the shuttle.

"Don't get your hopes up about your friends following us," Kaetus says when he notices Reyes has cast his attention out the window. "This shuttle is armed and it'll be all too easy to shoot them down."

Apparently, Kaetus' plan didn't take ground pursuit into account, because the Nomad continues to follow them unnoticed until it reaches flatter terrain and begins to slow. At first, Reyes thinks it's because it would be too easy to spot on open ground, but before the Nomad leaves his line of sight, he sees someone, most likely Scott, lean out the half-open hatch and point a sniper rifle at the shuttle.

Reyes doesn't see how this could possibly end well, and a fleeting thought crosses his mind that maybe Scott doesn't know he's on the shuttle, but he decides to work on faith and leans back in his seat, planting his feet firmly on the floor. "Brace yourself," he tells Crux.

She looks perplexed and Kaetus even more so, but Reyes doesn't have time to see whether either of them heeded his advice before something hits the shuttle and sends them into a wild spin.

They're losing altitude quickly—Reyes can feel it even without a visual reference—but they don't fall for long before colliding with something not solid enough to be rock. It absorbs enough of the impact that by the time the shuttle hits the ground, it's not the crumpled pile of wreckage Reyes expected it to end up as.

It takes him a few seconds to reorient himself, and he discovers that the shuttle has ended up tilted backwards and to the left, leaving his side open to the air. Reyes uses his foot to lift the hatch covering the emergency door release, and depresses the button. There's a comforting hiss to indicate that the hydraulics are still working, then the door is opening, the consequent swaying of the shuttle accompanied by the warm light of the rising sun and the low thrum of the Nomad's engine throttling down not far away.

Crux and Reyes help untie each other, but Reyes doesn't even attempt to climb out of the precariously balanced shuttle now that help has arrived, just stays where he is and keeps an eye on Kaetus and the other Outcasts. They all appear to be conscious and in varying states of lucidity, but Reyes is confident they won't be going anywhere in the next minute or so before Scott arrives.

"Reyes!" Scott's Pathfinder helmet appears in the doorway, and the visor retracts as he peers worriedly into the shuttle. "Are you all right?"

Reyes gives him a winning smile. "I am now that you're here."

The line elicits an exasperated groan from Scott, but he looks less anxious now. "Let's get you out of here."

With the help of Scott and his crew, Reyes and Crux manage to climb out without the shuttle falling on them. Once he's a safe distance away, Reyes turns around and sees that its fall had been broken by one of the mushroom-shaped trees that dot the Kadaran landscape, which was either incredible luck on Scott's part or calculation on SAM's. Knowing them, the chances of it being either one are about even.

A single Collective shuttle lands not far away and takes the Outcasts into custody. Crux goes with them, but Reyes lingers, sensing from the furtive glances Scott has been throwing his way that the moment everyone else is gone, they'll be having A Conversation. Reyes' instincts are proven right when Scott murmurs something to Vetra and Drack on his way towards Reyes, and the two of them are immediately extremely busy attending to the Nomad.

"I'm glad you came," Reyes says as silence falls between him and Scott as they walk away from the Nomad. He's not sure if it's quiet because Scott is waiting for him to say something or is trying to think of something to say, but there's a certain tension in the air between them.

"You snuck out on me," Scott says. He sounds nonchalant, but his expression is unreadable.

"I'm sorry," Reyes offers.

"To go on a mission," Scott continues. "For the Collective."

"You know I do work for them occasionally."

"Without leaving so much as a note."

Reyes stops walking. "What's this about, Scott? Are you upset that I left? I can understand if you are, and I apologise for my hasty departure, but as you can see, the matter was somewhat urgent."

Scott's quiet for a bit. He's got that look on his face that means he's choosing his next words carefully. "SAM told me Keema called you."

Reyes had forgotten SAM didn't just live in Scott's head and had an interface on the ship as well as access to its systems. Just how far that reach extended though, he'd never had the chance to ask.

"Don't worry, you weren't talking loudly enough for any of the ship's microphones to pick up the whole conversation," Scott says, "but she called you, you left immediately, then I find you here on Collective business. You're working with them, aren't you? And…not like before, when it was just a part of…you know, your job. As a smuggler." Scott's awkwardly skirting around what they're really here to talk about, giving Reyes time to come clean first.

"Scott…" This is hardly how Reyes wants to reveal himself, but he fears if he tries to delay the conversation until they're back in port, where he won't be stranded if Scott's angry enough to leave him behind, that Scott will think he's trying to get out of answering the question.

"No," Scott says abruptly, holding up a hand, "I'm just going to say it. What did you promise the Collective in return for their help rescuing me from Sloane?"

"What?" Reyes isn't sure he's heard correctly, but Scott barrels on.

"I mean, they did go back for you after you traded yourself for me, but you killed Sloane and gave them control of the port; shouldn't that be enough? Why should you have to go running after Kaetus as well? How much more do they want? You know what, let me talk to the Charlatan; I bet there's something I can offer to get them to leave you alone."

"Scott!" Reyes grabs Scott's shoulders and looks him in the eyes. "It's me."

Scott stares back blankly, clearly not expecting to be interrupted. "What?"

"I'm the Charlatan."

Scott's at a loss for words, something Reyes doesn't see often. _I broke the Pathfinder_ , he thinks.

"What about Keema?" Scott manages to eventually ask.

"She was the only one who knew."

"The angaran spy," Scott says, comprehension dawning on his face, "your interest in the Roekaar murders, encouraging me to help Doctor Nakamoto; everything you've done has been to undermine Sloane's power." Scott looks past Reyes towards the downed shuttle. "Guess you got what you wanted."

"What I want is peace." Reyes can't deny there's a certain allure to being the ruler of an entire planet, but ever since that kiss one sunset on a rooftop in Kadara Port, the idea's become less of an end goal and more of a side effect. The things Scott does to him. "Sloane would have brought war to Heleus, and we don't have the population to survive that. But I never thought it would get so complicated. You were never meant to get involved, I swear."

"So you would have just kept lying to me?"

"No, I'd planned on telling you after the Collective had secured the port, but that didn't go through as smoothly as I'd hoped, so here I am, cleaning up the mess I made." Reyes spreads his hands and watches Scott apprehensively.

Scott runs through a number of expressions in rapid succession, but he eventually settles an appraising gaze on Reyes' chest. "Is that my jacket?"

"Is it? I've never seen you wear it." Reyes cocks his head and raises an eyebrow, not quite sure if Scott is up yet for returning to their usual levels of playful interaction.

"It is!" Scott reaches out and grasps the fabric between his fingertips, though the texture is surely lost on him as he's still wearing gloves.

"If you want it back," Reyes leans forward a little, "you'll have to take it off yourself."

Scott looks up, the hint of a smile in his eyes. "Maybe I will."

They're close enough that Reyes thinks this might end in a kiss, but then Scott straightens up.

"We should get back to the port."

"Of course. There is still much to do." Reyes won't deny he feels disappointed, but at least it's not an outright rejection.

The four of them pile into the Nomad, then Scott calls the Tempest for a pickup and they're whisked up into the cargo bay. Some of Scott's crew are waiting for them, but Scott only thanks Drack and Vetra for coming along and instructs his pilot to take them back to the port. Despite the fact that they'll be landing in a few minutes, Scott invites Reyes back to his room.

"Remember the last time I woke up and found out you'd been captured, then you promised not to let it happen again?" Scott's leaning against his desk where Reyes' weapons are still scattered and his discarded clothes draped over a chair. "That was…what, yesterday?"

"I didn't plan on getting captured this time. I think it would have worked out quite well if we hadn't been betrayed." Speaking of which, he should probably let Keema know about her poor choice in shuttle pilots.

"And last time?"

"I went to meet Sloane with the sole intention of getting you out of her hands. And I did. I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"Why didn't you just tell me? We could have avoided all this."

"I know what people say about the Charlatan, around the port and in the Badlands. Some of the rumours are even true. I just wanted the chance to prove myself before you made up your mind about me."

"And how were you going to do that?"

"By taking down Sloane and returning the port to the angara. Making nice with the Nexus. You still want that outpost, don't you?"

"I do."

While positive, the answer is less reassuring than Reyes had hoped for. "I understand if this changes things between us," he finally works up the courage to say.

Scott sighs heavily and shakes his head. Just as Reyes braces himself for the worst, Scott closes the distance between them.

"Nothing's changed."

Reyes feels a smile forming on his lips. "You have bad taste in men."

Scott pulls Reyes towards him, then they're kissing like they haven't seen each other in months: desperate, relieved, and not wanting to be the first to let go.

"The worst," Scott murmurs against Reyes' lips.

They're interrupted by a slight jolt as the Tempest touches down and Scott's pilot announces that they've arrived at the port.

"Duty calls," Reyes says, pulling back.

Scott groans and drops his forehead onto Reyes' shoulder.

"You know, you still owe me a proper date," he says, and looks up expectantly at Reyes.

"I'll make it up to you after business has been concluded. Promise."

"Now that's one promise I know I can hold you to."

They go together to the former Outcast headquarters, cutting through the centre of the marketplace so Reyes can keep an ear out for any conversations about Kaetus. It seems like news hasn't made it back yet, if it even does. That should keep Keema happy for a while.

Scott and Reyes approach her in the throne room where dozens of screens have been set up around the perimeter, showing camera feeds, maps, and endlessly scrolling lists.

"Reyes!" Keema exclaims when she sees him. "And Scott! What a pleasant surprise."

"He knows," Reyes says before she can give him any pointed looks.

"And about time! Come, let's go somewhere more private."

Keema leads them to a small sitting room with couches against the walls and a low table in the middle. She takes a seat on one couch and Reyes takes the one next to her, leaving the third free for Scott, who chooses instead to sit next to Reyes, their knees so close they almost touch. Reyes is more thrilled than he will ever admit at this small gesture.

"So, how long have you known?" Scott asks.

"Keema helped me found the Collective," Reyes tells him. "She's as much the Charlatan as I am."

"And now the new governor of Kadara," Scott says. He turns to Reyes. "What about you? This could be your chance to go legitimate."

"Come on, Scott, you know I prefer to rule from the shadows."

"You are a shady bastard."

They grin at each other like fools until Keema clears her throat.

"Glad as I am that you two have finally gotten your shit together, we do still have business to conduct," she says.

"Right." Reyes snaps out of his stupor with a blink. "The Charlatan would like to extend an offer to the Initiative to build an outpost on Kadara. With full protection from the Collective, of course."

"I'll start rounding up volunteers," Scott says.

"Excellent!" Keema opens up her omni-tool and makes a decisive tap on the screen. "That'll be all, then. With the extra trade the outpost will bring in, I'm sure both of us will benefit handsomely from this arrangement."

Scott and Reyes bid Keema farewell and leave her to oversee the port operations. Reyes has his own work to do to ensure a smooth transition, and he knows Scott will want to report the successful negotiations back to the Nexus, so he suggests they part ways for the time being.

"Don't forget you promised me a date," Scott warns.

"And I intend to make good on it." Reyes affects offence. "Meet me at my room in Tartarus when you've tired of bureaucracy."

Scott frowns. "I don't know about you, but Tartarus is not my idea of a good time."

"I'll make it worth your while."

"You'd better."

-

It's many hours later when Reyes finally manages to drag himself back to his room. He's feeling slightly delirious from the lack of sleep, but the thought of Scott coming to see him soon keeps him going. He's received word that Scott has finished his inspection of the new outpost site and is returning to the port, which doesn't give Reyes much time to get everything ready.

He asks Kian to send up some food and drinks while he moves the furniture around to leave a clear space in the middle of the room. He then hooks up his omni-tool to the room's light and sound systems, and has the settings tuned how he wants them just as Scott walks through the door.

"What sort of trouble are you getting up to now?" Scott asks.

"Trouble? That doesn't sound like me." Reyes cues the lights and music, then holds out a hand. "Shall we?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

The door slides shut behind Scott as he reaches out and takes Reyes' hand.

Reyes holds Scott close as they sway to the beat of the music, not quite loud enough to drown out the deafening bass pumping from the club behind the doors.

"I'm sorry for all the secrets," Reyes says quietly. "Ever since leaving the Nexus, my survival has depended on them. But I don't want there to be anymore secrets between us."

"You'll always have secrets, Reyes," Scott says. "That's who you are. Just don't lie to me about the big stuff."

He says it like the words come easily to him, and there is nothing Reyes can say that will adequately express the overwhelming gratitude he feels at being so readily accepted for who he is.

"Thank you, Scott," he has to settle for. "Stay with me tonight?" Their time spent together is rare as it is, and with all business concluded on Kadara, who knows when Scott will be back next.

"I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else."

There's no telling what tomorrow might bring—Scott could be gone with the sunrise, never to return—but tonight, they can have this. ~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is dedicated to my dumbass self who didn't figure out Reyes was the Charlatan until Scott opened his mouth in that cave.


End file.
